The Hunted
by Tears of the Moon 17
Summary: Dick's life was great till his werewolf-inflicted past came back to haunt him, determined to make him pay for what he did. Now he's dodging the team's concern-filled questions WHILE trying to somehow outrun his enclosing past without actually running away. But as you know, you can't hide the past forever ... Especially when it's out to kill you. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer- I don't own Young Justice.

If you guys remember, I used to have a YJ fanfic called "Hidden Fangs" but deleted it because I couldn't see it going anywhere. But now, I have the inspiration with the plot changed somewhat (and not to mention the title which is now "The Hunted"). I hope you all enjoy this! (I will NOT be deleting this one . . . Promise!)

**Prologue**

_Running, always running. Dick couldn't stop even for a moment. If he did . . . they would catch him and force him to be someone he hated. Dick's legs pumped faster, images of the future his pack wanted to force upon him sending fear down his spine. No, he wouldn't let them turn him into such a horrible being. Never!_

_A bullet flew past his ear, it missing his head by mere inches but Dick didn't turn around to see who was shooting at him. He already knew who was chasing him down._

_It was the Hunters. They hated werewolves for what they were and what they did in ancient times . . . and for what they still did today._

_Dick shook his head as he weaved in and out of the trees of the thick forest, his paw prints etched in the snow that littered the ground. He couldn't afford to get sidetracked. Not when his life depended on getting away from the Hunters and his pack. _

_Not when no matter who caught him, he would suffer greatly for what he did. _

"_Go get him boys!" one of the Hunters shouted at his dogs as he let them out of their leashes, setting them loose to let them chew Dick to pieces._

_The dogs' ferociously barked, their chilling noise sending a dangerous feeling down Dick's spine. That feeling was something that Dick feared, that he hated to feel._

_It was blood thirst, something that all werewolves felt and didn't have enough power to control . . . Not that they wanted to. They all embrace it sooner or later, their blood thirst giving them power to rule cities in Romania for centuries._

_One of the dogs managed to get ahold of Dick's hind leg, the pain casting all thoughts aside. Fury boiling underneath his snow-white fur, Dick snarled and turned to snap the ignorant dog's neck. All dogs knew not to mess with werewolves, their power a legend amongst the animal kingdom. They knew if you messed with a werewolf, you were pretty much screwed._

_But since man became stronger and started to take over the world, animals (especially dogs) had forgotten the power of the werewolves. But no more . . . Dick was going to set the record straight so that the Hunters and their dogs would know who they were dealing with._

_When Dick snapped the dog's neck, the dog let out a pathetic yelp and its body fell lifelessly to the cold ground. Then another dog leapt at him, determined to get the best of Dick but Dick would have none of that. He merely dodged and caught the dog's neck in his mouth, his teeth sinking into the dog's neck. The dog howled in pain and struggled, still determined to kill the werewolf as his master wanted him to. Dick, caught up in the fight, twisted his head around and snapped the dog's neck which killed it instantly. _

_When the dog's body fell to the ground, Dick wasted no time in running away. After a while, Dick could only his own panting and could no longer sense the Hunter anywhere nearby. Dick suddenly dropped to the ground, his mind caught off guard. Had he been hurt? Had one of the dogs managed to hurt him?_

_Dick glanced down at his front paws and saw what seemed to be a bite from one of the dogs. It was bleeding and it throbbed with unbearable pain. Dick whimpered in pain as he examined his wound, searching for something that would cause such pain. Only after a few moments of analyzing had Dick found the problem: there was a dog's tooth in his front leg, a hint of silver laced in it._

_Dick frantically removed the tooth, the threat of death looming over his head. If he didn't get the antidote for silver soon . . . Dick shook his head violently as he got back up and continued to run. He had to get to a town to the antidote but what if his pack were stationed at every town with a ten mile radius of his hometown? Then how would he get what he needed?_

_Dick's head swam as he continued to run, city lights hovering over the horizon. He was so close . . . yet so far away . . . He had to . . . keep . . . going . . ._

_Dick's eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body collapsing onto the snowy ground. He was on the brink of death . . . He had to get . . . But Dick was on the edge of unconsciousness and couldn't resist the darkness that was taking over him. So he fell into a dreamless sleep, completely unaware of the circus tent just a few feet away._

**A/N- **That's my longest prologue I've ever written. I hope you guys liked it! Please review! This was published on 5-29-12 with the length of 948 words.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own YJ.

I love all the reviews! Please keep them coming!

Note- Italics are thoughts.

Note 2- My chapters will be 500-1000 words long. If they're longer than that, it means that I struck gold in my mind. Oh and there will be cliffhangers . . . REALLY GOOD cliffhangers.

**Chapter 1**

**_Six Years Later_**

"Man, these old werewolf movies are BORING!" Wally groaned as he stuffed his face into a couch pillow.

Artemis' eyes were drooping, the movie making her sleepy. " . . . I can't believe I'm saying this but I agree with Wally. If this movie gets any more boring, I'm going to die of boredom."

M'gann frowned at her friends words. "No, it's not. It's so SCARY! How can you be bored with THIS MOVIE?"

Wally pulled his face out of the pillow and stared at M'gann, his face etched with shock. " . . . M'gann, I know this is going to hurt your feelings but this movie is ANYTHING but scary."

Superboy, knowing his girlfriend, squeezed his hand's grip on her hand lightly and smiled. "Don't listen to them. This movie is great."

"Ah and the lies begin . . ." Roy muttered from his spot in a chair, trying to remember how Robin had blackmailed him to come here.

Aqualad was oblivious to everyone's voices, his eyes locked on the TV. Obviously, he was too distracted by the old black and white movie with its crappy acting and bad filming.

Robin chuckled to himself. These were the days he could almost forget that he was constantly lying to his friends and Bruce about almost everything. He could almost forget his days in his home country, Romania and how he ran away. He could almost forget the blood-filled screams that haunted his dreams and the blood that had splattered the walls and floors-

_Dick, STOP thinking about it. It's in the past and there's nothing you can do about it . . . Besides, you're safe here . . . Safe . . ._

Ah, safe, was he? When he didn't know if his pack and the Hunters were still after him . . . How could he be SAFE? He was never safe! If Dick so much as got angry, there's a chance he'd-

_Seriously, I need to stop thinking about this. I just need to focus on the cheesy movie and-!_

Robin's head snapped to his left, a feeling stirring within him. He could feel it . . . He could feel his old pack! They're in America! But how did they track him her? He had been so sure that when he joined the circus, they'd have a hard time tracking him. And he had been right. But when John and Mary Grayson, the people who had taken him in, died because of Tony Zucco, Dick's face had been plastered all over TV and newspapers. Dick had thought then that they would found him but they never did . . . So why now? Why five years after his face had been all over TV?

_Who cares? Now I have to deal with my old pack trying to kill me! WHILE pretending that nothing's wrong when I'm with Bruce and Young Justice! . . . I'm so screwed._

Robin wanted to groan but was sure that if he did, his team would ask him what's wrong. Yeah, NOT the question he wanted to answer.

_I'm going to have to try to outrun them somehow . . . without actually running away . . . Yeah, that's not frickin' possible! But what else do I do? If I get Bruce and the team involved . . . it'll happen again. I will have caused . . . _

Robin's thought trailed off, sadness seeping into his heart. He couldn't get his friends and Bruce involved. It wasn't their problem; it was Dick's.

"Dude, you okay?" Wally asked Robin, noticing the strange look on his face.

Robin forced himself to smile. "Yep . . . I'm great."

**A/N- **So how was that? I realized that in my other YJ fanfics, Batman seemed to know everything about Robin (except in "Tied Feathers") so I decided to not have Batman know. *evil grin* It's more fun this way . . . Please review! This was published on 6-5-12 with the length of 743 words.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- . . . I don't own YJ . . .

Sorry for not updating of a while. I had to buy some more virus ware . . . Anyway, hope you read, enjoy and review!

**Chapter 2**

When the movie finally ended, everyone had fallen asleep . . . Except for M'gann and Robin. Robin, not knowing that M'gann wasn't asleep, lessened his control on his emotions so that he could relax somewhat. Of course, when he did that, M'gann felt his emotions wash over her and around her. To her, it was strange. Robin's emotions always seemed to be blocked, only letting her get a vague sense of what emotions raged in his heart.

But now . . . She could feel EVERYTHING he was feeling at the moment! His pain, his uneasiness, his nervousness and his . . . fear. But what could Boy Wonder possibly fear? And why? Oh, what she would give to know but she kept pretending to be asleep in Superboy's lap, storing Robin's emotions away for later. For now, she would respect his privacy . . .

. . . For now.

**_The Following Afternoon, Location: Mount Justice, Day: Saturday_**

" . . . Hey, Robin? . . . Can I ask you something?" Artemis said quietly as she entered Robin's room, her voice betraying none of her emotions.

Robin turned his head away from his computer, his shade-covered eyes landing on Artemis. "Huh? Oh, yeah . . . So what's up?"

Artemis stiffly shrugged as she sat in the empty chair next to Robin's desk. "Well . . . You know who . . . I am, right? Like who I'm really related to and everything?"

"Yeah . . ." Robin replied slowly, not seeing where the conversation was going since he was so distracted by his pack returning.

" . . . How do you think I should tell the others?" Artemis whispered softly, hoping that Superboy couldn't hear her and Robin.

Robin shrugged. "Well, there's lots of ways."

"Like what?"

"You could either have a really awkward conversation that gets drawn out FOREVER such as this one or just sit them down and blurt it out."

Artemis stared at him, weighing the two options and trying to figure out which one would freak her friends out the less. " . . . What about a third option?"

"Ah, the third option . . . Just don't tell them about your family and kept on pretending that you don't have history with Sportsmaster."

"Robin, I can't keep lying to them! You said so to me a few weeks ago and told me that it would end up blowing up in my face! So I can't exactly go with option three!" Artemis said, groaning with frustration.

Robin shrugged again. "You asked and I answered. What more do you want?"

"A REASONABLE answer!" Artemis whispered loudly.

" . . . Then you've come to the wrong place. I don't have reasonable answers."

"Robin!" Artemis groaned again. "Really! . . . What do YOU think I should do?"

Robin rubbed the back of his neck. " . . . Honestly, I think you should just sit them down and tell it to them straight. Don't beat around the bush or anything. It'll just make you more nervous."

Artemis nodded, taking Robin's advice very seriously even though he was two years younger than her. "Okay . . . Now when should I do this? Now? Later? While we're eating? WHEN?"

"You should just get it over with. The longer you wait, the more you're going to want to back out of it so do it while you have the nerve."

Artemis exhaled shakily, already feeling nervous. "Okay . . . I'll go do it now . . . Will you . . . you know-"

"I'll be there. You'll need someone to back you up knowing Roy," Robin cut in, already knowing what she would say.

"Thanks, Robin . . ." Artemis said with a small smile as she stood up and headed towards the door.

"No problem," Robin replied with a tired smile, an emotion unnamed in his voice.

Noticing the tone in Robin's voice, Artemis turned her head to glance back at Robin and noticed the hint of tiredness in his smiled. Frowning, Artemis backed up a step and locked her aware eyes on Robin's face.

"Are you okay? You look tired."

Robin, sensing her concern, flashed his signature grin. "Of course! When am I NOT?"

**A/N- **So how was that? I know you probably expected some dramatic event but I think I'll let the story climax before that happens . . . This was published on 6-17-12 with the length of 781 words.


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- *sigh* I don't own YJ . . .

Please visit my poll!

**Chapter 3**

" . . . Artemis, you're kidding, right?" Wally asked, his eyes dazed.

Artemis bit her lip and shook her head. "Believe me, if I had to choose a joke, this would not be it."

Aqualad locked his surprisingly calm eyes on Artemis. "So why did you decide to tell us now?"

" . . . Robin convinced me that I needed to."

"ROBIN KNEW YET DID NOTHING?" Roy asked, his shock clear in his voice.

Robin arched an eyebrow from his spot in the only living room chair. "How is that surprising?"

"Because if she's related to Sportsmaster, she could be-" Roy started but was interrupted by Robin's ice cold voice.

"BUT SHE'S NOT. Do you think I would place my trust in just anyone?"

Roy shook his head. "No, but-"

"Then you should just trust my judgment and get over what doubts you have about Artemis," Robin cut in again, mentally rolling his eyes.

"Robin's right. And besides, Artemis is our friend. That's not going to change just because she's related to some villain," M'gann jumped in with a smile on her face.

Superboy nodded. "Yeah. Artemis hasn't done anything to prove your doubts, Roy, so just forget about them."

" . . . Yeah, Roy. They're right," Wally said quietly, his face calm like he had quickly adjusted to this new information about Artemis.

Roy shot Wally a surprised look but just shook his head. "Fine . . . But she shows any hint of betraying us, I WILL do something whether you guys like it or not."

"Wow . . . I just LOVE how you guys talk about me like I'm not even here," Artemis muttered to herself as she fixed her ponytail.

Robin chuckled. "But you still love them, right?"

Artemis shot a shocked look at Robin. "What? . . . Of course not. Who could love those clowns?"

"That may work on other people but it won't work on me, Artemis. Obviously, you love them like family or you wouldn't have felt guilty about lying to them. You wouldn't have felt anything if you didn't," Robin said quietly as a strange emotion flitted across his face for a mere second.

Artemis saw the quick emotion yet only snorted. "Whatever."

**_Ten Hours Later, Superboy's POV_**

Everyone was asleep at Mount Justice, too tired after a tough mission they had right after their talk with Artemis to go home. Even Robin had stayed with the excuse that Batman didn't need him tomorrow so he was going to spend the day with them.

_But the emotion in his voice as he said that . . . It was strange . . . Almost like he's avoiding something . . . Maybe I'm reading too much into it . . . But when I asked him if something was wrong, he just smiled and said that he was fine . . ._

_. . . Then why do I feel like he's not?_

Superboy sighed as he turned over in his bed. The way Robin had smiled when he had said he was fine seemed so . . . different somehow from his other smiles. But Superboy had just shrugged it off as being tired and left Robin alone. He hadn't even begin to analyze it till now, hours later after it happened. But Superboy just COULDN'T get it off his mind! He couldn't stop seeing Robin's face as he had replied.

_There's probably nothing wrong . . . I'm probably just reading too much into this . . . Right?_

Superboy sighed again. He knew this would continue to bother him till he either talked to Robin who would tell him nothing or talked to the team to see if they had similar thoughts . . . Yes, he could talk to the team! After all, they had more experience with human problems and would probably know what was wrong with Robin.

_Yeah, maybe they know . . ._

_. . . But what if they don't?_

**A/N- **Oh, now Superboy's noticed . . . I wonder what will happen next . . . Please review! This was published on 6-23-12 with the length of 730 words.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- . . . You're kidding, right?

Some commented that this fanfic has been kind of short. I have only one thing to say in my defense: "Let's see you do FIVE FANFICS at the SAME TIME."

**Chapter 4**

Dick ran as fast and far as his paws would take him, hoping that he could somehow leave his problems behind. Panting, Dick zigzagged in and out of the trees that made up a makeshift forest not too far from Gotham. But no matter how hard he pushed his body, Dick's thoughts didn't stop whirling around his current problems.

_My pack and the Hunters are basically coming to kill me and I can't run away! If I try running, Bruce is going to know that something's up. He'll probably get the entire Justice League to search for me. And if that happens . . . They'll be involved and that's what I'm afraid of. Sure, I could take the simple route and tell Bruce about me being a werewolf. But that's still getting him involved! And if I get him involved . . . There's no telling what chaos will ensue. _

Once again breaking away from his train of thought, Dick pushed his werewolf body even harder and leapt over a river that was littered with colorful leaves that were never seen in Gotham. Usually, Dick would stop to enjoy that kind of scenery but his eyes were unfocused, glassy and seemed to more focused on simply running. He just wanted to run and run, leaving behind his human instincts and problems momentarily. Dick just wanted to run like he used to before his life back in Romania went up in smoke.

**_Roy's POV, Location: Mount Justice_**

"Okay," Roy started from his laying position on the couch. "WHY AM I HERE ON A SUNDAY?"

Aqualad mentally sighed. "Superboy wishes to speak about something with us."

" . . . And it couldn't wait till tonight when I'm actually awake?"

"Apparently, it has something to do with Robin," Aquqalad said as Wally and Artemis walked into the living room.

"Seriously? . . . So he wasn't the only one . . ." Wally murmured as he flopped onto a chair.

Artemis frowned slightly, the wheels in her mind turning. "Did he say anything else?"

Aqualad shook his head. "No. But he seemed to be really concerned about something."

"Did you ask M'gann if she knew anything?" Roy asked, his attention now captured.

"Of course. She said that she has a feeling that she knows what he's talking about."

"But?" Wally said, sensing that there was a "but" to this conversation.

"But she wouldn't tell me. You know how she is about not revealing someone's personal thoughts to other people."

"Why, oh why, did we ever tell her to never reveal someone's thoughts without their permission?" Artemis groaned to herself, rubbing her forehead.

Wally shrugged. "Oh well. We'll just have to wait till Superboy tells us."

"Tells you what?" Robin asked as he entered the living room.

"Nothing," the three heroes quickly said, their voices unusually high.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh . . . Okay, well if you guys need me, I'll be in my room doing some homework."

"Okay . . . You have fun with that!" Wally smirked, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

Robin shook his head as he continued to his room. "Whatever, Wally. Have fun doing nothing."

"I will!" Wally shouted as he watched Robin slip into his room.

**_Robin's POV_**

_. . . Something's up with them. They were obviously discussing something that's related to me or they wouldn't have flipped when I came into the room. But what could they have been talking about? Do they know I'm lying to them? About everything? . . . Only one way to find out._

To make sure that they would think he was in his room, Robin opened his laptop and turned on some music. Then he got some blank sheets of paper and placed them next to his laptop on his desk. He grabbed a pencil out of the cup that was on the right corner of his desk and started to write some complicated math problems on the paper. After a few minutes of making it look like he had done some math homework, Robin quietly slipped out his door and stuck to the shadows as he edged closer and closer to the living where Superboy had started to talk about his concern for their fellow teammate.

" . . . doesn't seem right. He told me he was fine but he didn't seem fine. Have you guys noticed this?"

_Who the heck is Superboy talking about?_

Robin puzzled over this as he managed to get on the beams above his teammates' heads where he could hear what they were saying . . . Kind of.

"I did . . . when we were . . . movie and he had the . . . look on his face," Wally said below him.

_What? Who are they talking about? Ugh! This is so annoying! I can barely hear what they're saying!_

Artemis nodded in agreement. "Same here. When I . . . about what to do . . . When I turned . . . had the strangest look . . . face . . . when I asked . . . said of course."

Robin's eyes slightly widened behind his glasses. Was Artemis talking about yesterday when she had come to him for advice? But why was she talking about his face?

"When you guys fell asleep . . . wasn't asleep . . . but Robin thought . . . so he unblocked his emotions . . . felt all of his emotions . . . was curious but . . . respect his privacy." M'gann's voice carried up to him better since she was in mid-air.

Robin felt his blood run cold as his heart threatened to stop. So they WERE talking about him! And M'gann had felt his usually blocked emotions that night! So that meant that she knew that something was wrong with him . . . And now the team knew as well!

. . . How was he going to fix this? Lie some more? Pretend he hadn't heard?

. . . Or finally come clean like Artemis had?

**A/N- **I had thought of several different ways to do this chapter but I think this one -was the best one. Please review! This was published on 7-5-12 with the length of 1,103 words.


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I don't own Young Justice.

I came pretty close to deleting this fanfic till this chapter struck me. Hopefully, you guys will like it . . . Please review! I need all the support I can get!

Note- The _**bold italics**_ that are underlined is the alpha male telepathically communicating to his pack.

**Chapter 5**

In a thick forest not so far from Gotham, five different colored wolves raced through the bare trees as if their legs were made of steel. The one leading them was obviously the alpha male, all the wolves following his exact path giving that little fact away. But if you looked carefully, you could tell how the wolves were twitching with annoyance. But for what reason? Maybe one of them wouldn't shut up? No, that couldn't be it. They seemed to . . . serious for that to be what was annoying them.

So it had to be a very important matter . . .

But what? Maybe their alpha male, the midnight black wolf, was forcing them to do something they thought was completely stupid? Maybe . . . Let's take inside their little discussion to find out.

**_The Pack_**

_Michael, _why_ the heck are we going to Gotham?_

_**Because, Raphael, that's where Richard is.**_

_Wait, I thought we gave up on finding him._

_No, Tristan, we figured he'd show his ugly face sooner or later._

_Oh yeah . . . Thanks for reminding me, Aden. _

_No prob, bro._

_Still, Michael, are you sure we should? Those crazy Hunters are probably on their way too-_

_**Exactly.**_

_. . . Brother, have you finally lost mind?_

_**No, West. I just figured that we could kill two birds with one stone.**_

_Oh, I see where you're coming from. But if I remember correctly, Richard's got a thing for escaping dangerous situations. We won't be the ones with the advantage, Michael; HE WILL._

_**Ah but Raph, you forget that the Hunters want him dead too.**_

Dramatic silence filled the wolves' minds as they gracefully wove in between the thick trees that surrounded them for miles. The alpha smirked as he heard nothing but silence from his pack. He knew his plan would surprise them. After all, no alpha in their werewolf history had ever made a temporal allegiance with the ever-bothersome Hunters.

But Michael thought it was necessary if they wanted to punish Richard for his past crime. He had, after all, tried to kill them when they had merely defended themselves. Nevertheless, that was in the past and would be soon forgotten once Richard paid the price for what he did.

And Michael thought that his death would fit the bill quite nicely.

**A/N- **Ah, I love how your minds are caught up in a whirlpool of "WHAT THE CRAP?" at the moment. Please review if you can. This was published on 7-16-12 with the length of 560 words.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I don't own YJ . . . despite what I've told my friends.

Thanks for all the support!

**Chapter 6**

Dick didn't know what to do with those three options. He didn't want to have to lie to his friends even more and coming clean would not help the situation. So what was left but pretending that he hadn't heard their discussion?

Exactly; nothing.

_But what if they start digging around? Well, there's no way that Wally would tell them my secret identity so they wouldn't be able to find anything . . . But still. What if they manage to track me down when I'm blowing off steam in the forest? What if they see me in my werewolf form? NO GOOD COMES FROM IT! The last time I let someone see, she ended up-_

Dick cut the thought off as a flashback played behind his eyes, causing his heart to twist painfully with guilt and regret in his rib cage. No, he didn't need to reflect on the past and his past sins. It was useless seeing as he could never go back to stop it from happening and saving her from-

_ANYWAY . . . What should I do? What's the most important thing to do right now? Telling the truth? Pretending the problem doesn't exist? . . . Or protecting the most important people to me from my old pack, the Hunters and most importantly, myself? _

_WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO IN THIS SITUATION?_

That was just it; Dick didn't know . . .

. . . But maybe an old friend could tell him what the right thing was.

_Let's hope Haly will know what the right thing is._

**_The Hunters_**

Six dark figures lurked in the dark alleys that littered their small town in Romania, black cloaks blending their bodies in with the shadows behind them. Silver knives with silver handles littered their bodies that were covered by their damp cloaks and guns with silver bullets hung off their waists, begging to be used. But these mysterious figures ignored their desires to kill some werewolves and instead, focused on killing a particular werewolf.

Richard.

Oh, they had good reason for wanting him gone from the world. (Not that they didn't have good reasons for killing other werewolves.) This werewolf had taken their leader's granddaughter away from him, leaving her in the hands of death. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR KILLING HIS PRECIOUS GRANDDAUGHTER! She hadn't been accepted into the Hunters yet despite her lineage. It had to with her age and how she hated to kill any living thing. That was her only flaw and a serious one at that, much to her grandfather's disappointment. But he had planned on drilling into her head that werewolves were barbarians and had no respect for any living creature, human or not.

His plans went down the drain when his ears heard the news of her merciless death and how Richard had enjoyed killing her. RICHARD WOULD PAY DEARLY FOR THAT! Heck, he was sure that he could torture the abomination for at least a decade! Yes . . . and with countless amounts of silver! Of course he would administer the cure before it would reach the creature's heart. He wouldn't want the murderer to die without having some fun, now would he?

"You have found him, correct?" he gruffly asked as he pictured Richard's impending doom.

One of the figures nodded. "Yes, his old pack is on their way as we speak."

"And they know not to kill him? To merely lure him back here?"

"Yes, Abraham . . . Well, only their alpha knows."

Abraham's face held a grim smirk. "Ah, even werewolves do not trust werewolves . . . Oh, how ironic."

"Sir . . . Are you sure this will work?"

"Of course it'll work!" Abraham snapped. "Richard has too much blood on his hands for it NOT to work."

**A/N- **And now I have made you guys even more confused . . . Please review! This was published on 7-27-12 with the length of 687 words.


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- I don't own Young Justice. (If I had a dollar for every time I've said that, I'd have so much for beef jerky . . .)

I would love it if you guys would read my other Robin-centered fanfic, "The Time Hacker". In it, Robin's from the future . . . with a mission. You'll have to read the summary for more info so please stop by! And review!

Note- The _**bold italics**_ is Dick's flashback.

**Chapter 7**

Dick moved to once again slip into the darkness that surrounded him up in the rafters to go see Haly but doubt stopped him. Was it really necessary to get Haly involved? And what if Haly gave him the exact advice he didn't want to hear? Then what would he do? Tell everyone the truth?

_Yeah, that's a great idea. Let's get everyone involved so they can die too! That's so brilliant! I can't believe I didn't think of it before. NOT! That plan has insanity and death written all over it! I'd be better off with lying to them!_

Dick suppressed a groan. He hadn't wanted to lie to them but he didn't want them dead either. He could pretend to not have heard the conversation below him but then his friends would go digging for information and clues. Dick had gone through that before and it had ended up with a misunderstanding . . .

And one little girl dead.

All because of his stupid decisions.

_No . . . It will not happen again! Never again! This time . . . This time I'll tell the lies that I should have told all those years ago . . . The lies that would have prevented her death._

Dick could feel his aged grief stirring in his scarred heart but he ignored it as he climbed down gently so he could tell some more lies . . . Again. But this was for their own good. This way no one would get hurt . . . No one would have to die.

. . . And no one would curse at him with hate for what he could have prevented.

**_An Hour Later_**

Trees were blurry as Dick raced on his white paws with guilt haunted his mind.

_They believed every word I said with such trusting eyes . . . Trust that I do not deserve to have . . . Trust that I have broken time and time again. But it's to protect them from the Hunters and my old pack . . . And myself. _

The quarter moon's yellowish form could barely be seen through the mass of thick tree limbs and the few leaves that were still on the trees. Yet Dick could sense its presence and how it whispered words of embracing his blood lust into his furry ears. He ignored the tempting words even though he knew that if he embraced his blood lust, his old pack and the Hunters had no chance of surviving his protective fangs. But Dick knew that if he did, there was a chance he'd lose control of himself and kill several people to eat their flesh . . .

Like the werewolves in Romania did.

A chill slivered down his spine as a buried memory rose to the surface and flashed in his eyes.

"_**Richard, hunt with us."**_

_**Richard tore his ice blue eyes from the thick book on his lap to stare at a thirteen-year-old Michael in the face. ". . . No."**_

_**Michael frowned. "Why not? You're already seven, Richard. You should at least learn how we hunt humans."**_

"_**I've only been here for a year, Michael. I'm not ready," Richard lied with his adult-like words.**_

_**Michael hated when Richard sounded more mature than he did and refused his orders, the orders of the soon-to-be alpha. "So? You still need to learn. After all, it's not like you have parents to teach you."**_

_**Richard masked the hurt that he felt by the teenager's harsh yet truthful words. "I'm not going, Michael and you can't make me. Your dad said I could go when I felt I was ready."**_

"_**Whatever," Michael said bitterly as he left, angry that his dad had apparently liked Richard more than his own son. **_

**_A Few Hours Later_**

"_**See, Richard? This is what werewolves are supposed to eat."**_

_**Richard suppressed his urge to hurl when he saw that Michael was eating the flesh he had taken off a human that they had killed. Apparently, Michael liked to take some home with him to eat as a snack which made Richard want to become a vegetarian. **_

_**Michael smacked his lips as he sat down at the kitchen table where Richard had been reading his book. "You don't know what you're missing! Human flesh is just SO GOOD!"**_

_**Richard said nothing as he settled into his seat and began to read, trying to suppress t a thought.**_

_Trust me. I DO._

As the memory was once sunk back beneath the surface of his mind, Dick blinked and pushed his limbs to carry his wolf form faster. He just needed to get back to Wayne Manor to get some sleep and-

_**Hi, Richard . Miss us?**_

A/N- I couldn't resist that cliffhanger! Please review! This was published on 8-11-12 with the length of 891 words.


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer- I don't own YJ.

Sorry for not updating sooner!

**Chapter 8**

" . . . Am I the only one who feels like Robin was lying through his teeth?" Artemis said quietly, staring at the blank TV.

Roy looked up from his book in his lap as a sigh escaped his lips. "No. Robin's explanation seemed too . . . perfect."

"Guys, this is ROBIN we're talking about! He's not like-" Wally started but was cut off by Roy.

"Give it a rest, Wally. You know that Robin was lying."

" . . . But it isn't our business, Roy. You know what happened last time we nosed into his business."

Silence fell between Roy and Wally as they faintly remembered how they had found out Robin's secret identity and the tragedy that went with it. Honestly, Roy didn't want that to happen again but what if Robin was in trouble? What if he needed help but doesn't know how to ask? What if he's having a problem with the team and doesn't want them to know? What if-

"There's something going on in the forest close by," M'gann murmured as she clutched her head in pain. "And it has something to do with Robin . . . but it's not Robin . . . his mind is so different, less complex . . ."

Superboy looked at her with concern. "Are you okay? Is Robin?"

M'gann shook her head gently. "Robin isn't . . . He's being ambushed by . . . wolves? But they're so big . . ."

"Where in the forest?" Aqualad asked M'gann as his team starting grabbing their equipment to defend their teammate.

" . . . Near a small river . . . There's a pack of wolves circling him . . ." M'gann answered with difficultly because of the several voices she could hear in Robin's mind.

"Guess we'll get to ask Robin about why he lied," Artemis said with a grim look on her face. She wasn't looking forward to having to drag the truth out of the little hacker. He was more slippery than most villains out there.

Wally shook his head at her words. "I'm telling you, WE SHOULDN'T MENTION IT. Haven't you heard about ignorance being bliss?"

Artemis merely snorted at Wally's words and so did Roy which caused them to glare at each other. They still hadn't managed to get along after all this time.

Aqualad stiffly ignored their discussion as he got the team together. "Let's go rescue Robin before those wolves end up dead."

The team laughed awkwardly as they rushed to the Bio-Ship with M'gann at the back, lost in her thoughts. She couldn't figure out why there had been voices in Robin's head. Maybe that's what had been bothering him lately. It certainly would explain a lot but it just didn't seem to fit. But M'gann had no time to wonder about that. They had to save Robin!

**_Dick's POV_**

_WHY ON EARTH WOULD I MISS YOU GUYS?_

Dick snarled along with his thoughts, baring his teeth to show his old pack that he wasn't afraid to fight them if he had to. Michael merely ignored this as he and the other wolves started to circle around Dick. This slightly frightened Dick, flashes of memories from his childhood playing in his mind to remind him just what they were capable of.

But Dick wasn't seven anymore.

And he definitely knew how to defend himself.

As Dick felt his body follow their movements, rolls of thunder echoed in the darkening sky as lightning readied itself to soar across the sky. It was almost like the weather had sensed a fight coming . . . A fight between old pack mates who clashed on their views of right and wrong, humans and werewolves. If this wasn't a fight fit for Shakespeare, nothing else could even dream to be.

_**Why don't you tell them?**_ Michael gestured with his head to Young Justice who were staring at the wolves in confusion.

"Do you guys see Robin?"

"No . . . But this is where I saw him."

"He must have gotten away."

Dick growled at Michael's thought. _DO NOT INVOLVE THEM!_

_**Oh, I wasn't the one who involved them; you were. You should have remembered what happened to your last human friend . . . Then maybe they wouldn't have to die.**_

_But this is between you and me, Michael! NOT THEM!_

_**Ah, but it's just SO much more interesting with them in the picture. This way, you get to suffer more than what our fangs and claws could do to you.**_

Dick gritted his teeth as he moved to block their way to his friends. He was going to have to explain this to them . . . But how? By changing back into a human? Yeah, that's a great-Wait. That might just be it . . . He knew he wasn't a chance as a werewolf to fight them off seeing as he hadn't fought in this form since long ago but as a human . . . A toothy smile spread itself on Dick's mouth as he barked a laugh.

_Fine. Be that way. It's not like you'll be able to touch them anyway._

**A/N- **I hate the beginning of this chapter. -_- But I couldn't think of anything else . . . This was published on 9-14-12 with the length of 911 words.


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I _still _don't own Young Justice.

More reviews means longer chapters!

**Chapter 9**

Dick didn't even give his old pack mates the time to process what he had just said. He leapt into action, snapping at their necks and shoulders in hope that he would weaken them. Michael and the other wolves were momentarily stunned by his surprise attack but then they snarled as their claws tore at Dick's snowy pelt. Pain erupted within Dick's skin but he ignored its lingering effect as he swiftly dodged the teeth that followed.

Meanwhile, Young Justice had no idea what had set the wolves off and were curious as to what had caused their fight.

"Look at that white wolf go! It's obviously stupid or something. Those wolves are bigger than it."

"Kid Flash, size doesn't determine the outcome of a battle."

"Tell that to the wolf. It's the one who's going to need some backup."

"Oh, shut up, Kid Flash."

Dick could hear his friends talking amongst themselves and their words reminded him of what he would have to do. But he didn't wish to have to reveal his true nature . . . Not to his human friends . . . Not to the people who would surely be hurt by the lies he's feed over and over. He didn't want to lose the life he had fought so hard to gain, to have the right to live. He didn't want everything to change because of a single mistake he made in the past.

Oh, if only he hadn't forged a bond of friendship with that human girl.

He could remember meeting her at the meadow where he went to hide and how she seemed unafraid even though she could sense his werewolf blood. He could remember carelessly sitting next to her and asking her why she was crying. He could remember her tearful reply and how he had sympathetically replied that he understood. He could remember how she angrily yelled at him, saying that _no one_ could ever understand. Ah, but she had been wrong; he had understood perfectly for he had experienced the same kind of lost just two years before. But Dick hadn't said a word; he just let her cry out her sadness and played with her afterword.

That turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes in his life.

Why?

Because her friendship, their closeness, was the very thing that got her killed-

No, _murdered._ It hadn't been a simple killing. It had been a blown-out _murder_ that included torture, begging and pain that had rippled through her lungs that became bloody screams. That wasn't the only sad thing about it.

He could have prevented it.

If only he hadn't been so _weak_, so _gentle_!

It had been _his_ fault and for that, neither he nor the Hunters would ever forgive him. For that very reason, the Hunters would never rest until Dick paid for her death in blood and lots of it. Honestly, Dick couldn't blame them because he knew it was the truth.

The _unbelievably true_ truth.

_**What's wrong, Dick? You keep dodging our fangs. Are you afraid that we'll kill you? You should know us better than that. Before we kill you, you'll greatly suffer for killing one of us.**_

Dick couldn't help the wolfish laugh that flitted through his teeth. _Oh, I'm not the one who should be scared._

Dick said this fearlessly but deep down laid the fear that was tearing him up inside with images of his gruesome death. He knew that he had no chance of winning in his wolf form, the form he rarely fought in. Only in his human form did he stand a chance in defeating them. But that victory would come with a price.

The loss of his family and friends . . . The life he had built for himself, his _human _self.

No, it would be worth it. If he didn't . . . If he didn't . . . There was a good chance that his old pack would have a shot at killing at least one of his friends. And that was something that Dick wouldn't let happen . . .

. . . Never again . . . Not when he was still alive and breathing.

_**What a transparent lie, Dick. So unlike you . . . Do you fear for their lives that much?**_

Michael standing edging closer and closer towards Young Justice where they sat on big rocks, content to watch the wolves fight what they thought was a natural fight. Dick slowly backed up closer to his friends, readying himself for the attack that Michael would surely lead.

_Michael, if you have to ask, then you'll never understand the meaning of family._

_**But what use is family if they're dead?**_

With that thought lingering in the back of Dick's mind, Michael sprang forward with his teeth aimed to tear at the flesh that covered Kid Flash's neck.

_No!_

Dick didn't think of what he was doing and the consequences that his act would have; he only acted upon his instinct to protect what he considered his human pack. In a split second, Dick's white pelt and four paws shifted into his civvies and arms and legs. With covered eyes that were locked on Michael's large form, Dick yanked Michael down on top of him and struggled to keep him there.

"Rob?!"

"What the heck?!"

Dick had no time to answer their questions as he used his feet to kick Michael into a large rock that knocked him out. He instead ignored them as he focused on quickly getting his bo-staff out of his handy utility belt and defending himself against the wolves' aggressive attack. But he hadn't been quick enough; one of the wolves that was quicker than the rest was just mere feet away from him, its teeth ready to rip off some of his flesh. Dick stiffened his body, readying himself for the blow, and gritted his teeth.

But the teeth never came.

**A/N- **Man, that was so cruel to leave you guys there! XD This was published on 9-25-12 with the length of 1,033 words.


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer- If I did own Young Justice, I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret.

I'm so sorry for making you guys wait THIRTY-ONE DAYS! At first it was because of exhaustion and school. Then it moved on to being obsessed with the newest Pokemon game. I'M SO SORRY!

Note- The _**bold italics**_ are flashbacks. The _italics underlined_ is M'gann communicating telepathically.

**Chapter 10**

Kid Flash had been frozen with shock, his eyes wide and his mouth wide open. His eyes followed Robin's movements as his mind showed him flashes of the past, the past where Robin repeatedly said he had no other secrets.

"_**Seriously, besides my secret identity, I have no other secrets. Sheesh, Wally!"**_

_**Wally chuckled as he ruffled Dick's raven hair. "Okay, okay. I believe you, little man."**_

_**Dick twitched with annoyance. "Little . . . man?"**_

"_**Now remember that I'm your friend, Dick, as you entertain thoughts of killing me!" Wally said with slight hysteria as he snatched his hand back from Dick's head.**_

_**Dick smirked. "Okay then. I guess because you're my **_**friend**_**, I'll leave out the endless torture and cut right to the chase."**_

"_**. . . You're bluffing."**_

"_**Really, Wally? Am I really? How do you know?" Dick asked with a mysterious undertone.**_

_**Wally merely shrugged, quickly getting over his hysteria. "Because I know you and you're not a killer."**_

_**An unnamed emotion flitted across Dick's eyes as Wally's words hit his ears. " . . . Not a killer, huh?"**_

"_**Yep. You, Dick Grayson, are not a killer."**_

"_**Yeah . . . Dick **_**Grayson**_** isn't a killer . . ," Dick murmured in agreement, the emphasis on his last name lost on Wally.**_

But now, a couple of years later, what Dick said at the end made all the more sense. Dick _Grayson_ wasn't a killer but this Robin, this Dick that was fighting abnormal sized wolves obviously wasn't that Dick Grayson. This person . . . It was almost as if this person just had an uncanny resemblance of his best friend. That was the only reasonable explanation for this situation and the only one that Wally was willing to consider.

He didn't think of what the other explanation was and what it meant.

No, Wally would rather pretend that everything was peachy and that nothing had changed until someone had announced that it was otherwise. He would rather sink into his inner sea of denial than admit the one thing that hurt him the most.

. . . Dick lied to him.

Wally shook his head, gritting his teeth as he struggled to avoid his feelings of betrayal and such. He _knew_ Dick better than this! Obviously, Dick had some reason for not sharing this furry secret and it was probably a good reason too-

_Kid Flash, watch out! That wolf is-_

Kid Flash didn't even hear the rest of what M'gann had said in his mind; his body's movements had taken over his mind as he, in a split second, realized that one of the wolves were aiming for Dick. Kid Flash's body quickly placed him in front of Dick with a sharp rock in his right hand just as the wolf leapt into the air. As the wolf opened its large mouth to take a bite out of Dick, Kid Flash raised his right hand and struck the wolf's neck. _No way_ was some creepy wolf taking out his best friend!

Kid Flash's quick movement and attack had made the other wolves uneasy and reluctant to try to attack Dick again. Obviously, they thought to themselves, Dick's human pack weren't ordinary humans.

_**Retreat for now! This battle will continue on our own land, Romania! That is if Dick doesn't want his precious human friend to be hunted down and face Judgment for the murder of a werewolf.**_

Dick's stunned body shifted into action at Michael's words, his arms and legs now paws and his wolf mouth now a snarl. He now understood why his friends had so easily found him and _why_ Michael had involved them into werewolf affairs.

_You planned this! You _wanted_ my friend to kill that werewolf!_

Michael's dark form stood proudly yet tiredly upon the rock that Dick had kicked him into as he watched his fellow pack mates retreating across the raging river behind him. His teeth seemed to gleam with a gruesome glint as he mentally laughed at Dick's words.

_**But of course! That's the only way we'll get you to come to Romania. You'll want to protect your human friend from our merciless claws. Isn't that right, Dick?**_

Dick growled as he gracefully moved around Kid Flash and dug his claws into the blood-stained dirt beneath him. He didn't know who he was angrier at Michael for coming up with such an undermining plan or himself for being too blind to see the bigger picture. Ugh! If only he had _seen_ this! If only he had _listened_ to the hidden meanings in Michael's words! Then his friends, his _family_ wouldn't be involved in his problems!

But it was too late now. All he could do was-

_Yes._

-try to protect his friend from ferocious werewolves that he had once called family. Yes, that was all Dick could do now. It wasn't like he could force Wally and his family into being on the run for the rest of their lives. No, since Dick was the cause for this terrible problem, he would help his best friend out of it. That's what he owed Wally for all the lies and deceit he had laced into his life.

_**We'll be seeing you soon, Dick. Don't forget or we might just have to involve another one of your friends.**_

And with those departing words, Michael disappeared into the woods and left Young Justice with their youngest teammate still growling at the alpha's trail.

Kid Flash coughed lightly, successfully catching everyone's attention. "So . . . who wants to interrogate Rob first?"

**A/N- **Since the chapter was so serious, I thought I'd leave on a funny note. Please review! This was published on 10-26-12 with the length of 1,028 words.


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer- Of course I don't own Young Justice!

Sorry for the late update . . . Again. -_-

**Chapter 11**

Dick merely rolled his eyes at Wally's words as his teammates chuckled and let their tension roll away. He couldn't take his friend's words seriously since no one would be interrogating him. He knew that if he gave them some information, they'd be demanding to help him out and whatnot. Not that Dick would let them do that; he didn't want them to get into his mess. It was bad enough that he had to go to Romania to clear Wally's name and face his dark past.

_I'm sorry, Wally . . . I really am._

Dick couldn't help the regret that enveloped his heart and how it twisted his heart. Maybe if he hadn't tried to fit in with humans or forge bonds with people . . . Maybe everything would have be okay. Maybe his friends would have been better off. Maybe . . . Maybe it was better if he left for good.

_I'm . . . I'm leaving, guys and I'm never coming back. I'll fix this little problem so you won't have to worry but after that . . . You'll never see me again._

Dick gave a quick glance back to his teammates, memorizing their laughing faces and the words they were exchanging with one another. He knew that they were so into talking about the werewolves, their sizes and how cool Kid Flash had been that they had momentarily forgotten about Dick. He didn't mind being temporarily forgotten; it would only make his departure easier. Yes, it would so much easier without the confusion, the pleading and the tearful goodbyes. Dick didn't think he could handle how their eyes would look at him if he told them goodbye. There was no way he would be able to stand the raw emotion in their eyes.

If he was in his human form, Dick would have chuckled humorlessly at his thoughts. Since he wasn't, he merely shook his head and leapt over the river in front of him. He didn't allow himself a backwards glance as he let his white fur be engulfed by the darkness of the thick forest. He knew that if he glanced back, he wouldn't be able to leave. He would be sucked back into the warmness that his friends radiated and would be unable to rip himself away. No . . . He couldn't look back . . .

. . . He couldn't.

Once Dick reached a small clearing in the forest, his paws slowed to a stop. Uncertainty had started to peck at his mind and it stirred up a single question.

Was this the wrong thing to do?

Maybe he was wrong, he contemplated as he started again in a run. Maybe this was the wrong path to go down and maybe it would blow up in his face. Maybe he didn't need to leave his friends and family. Maybe they would be safer with him and would accept him. Maybe all this was true.

But those were all maybes that had no guaranteed positive outcomes. They were merely questions that had formed from his uncertainty and reluctance. Therefore, he couldn't take them seriously or take the chance that they were wrong. No, he would continue to go down this newly-chosen path and try his best to protect them from the shadows.

Yes . . . This was the right thing to do.

Now he had to complete step two of his new decision.

. . . He would have to say good bye to Bruce and Alfred.

_No, it would be better leave Bruce a short note and to gather my things. I don't think Bruce would let me leave if I told him I was leaving. Ha . . ._

**A/N- **Sorry for the length! I'm tired and I'm not feeling too good. I'm going to try to update at least one more fanfic. Please review! This was published on 11-24-12 with the length of 682 words.


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer- . . . I thought we already established that I don't own Young Justice.

I am _so _sorry for not updating sooner!

**Chapter 12**

The haunting sound of every step Dick took leaving his bedroom echoed in his ears, reminding him of how he seemed to be on a death march. The weight of his backpack dug into his right shoulder as if to remind him of the lonely journey ahead of him. The familiar dark hallway seemed to closing in on him, making his heart race from fear and uncertainty.

Did it really have to be this way?

Was this really necessary?

Was there another way? Couldn't he talk to Bruce-

_And what? Drag everyone I love and care about into my mess? Mess up their lives? I'm not nor will I ever be that selfish. _

The stairs lied before him but Dick couldn't take the first step towards his newly-decided future. His body was stiff and frozen, unwilling to listen to his will. And why would it be willing? Dick was going down a path that his heart of hearts didn't truly desire; this path was merely a way to run away from what he feared.

Death.

If he stayed and Hunters came for him . . . What if they target his friends and adopted family? What if his loved ones got caught in the crossfire? What if the past was doomed to repeat itself? If anything of that were to happen, Dick would never be able to forgive himself. He would hate himself for all eternity.

He would rather face a lonely and dark future than to have that happen.

Dick swallowed as he blocked the bloody imagines, trying to instead focus on protecting the only family he had left in the world. He had to get down the stairs before Alfred spotted him at the top of the stairs. Dick was supposed to be asleep just like Bruce was at the moment. If Alfred saw him dressed in dark clothing and alert, he would instantly know that something wasn't quite right with Dick.

He would stop Dick from leaving.

A strangled sob flitted past Dick's lips as he set his right foot down on the first step. He was already picturing the crestfallen looks that would paint Bruce's face when he found the note Dick left for him and Alfred. That imagine made Dick's heart ache with an emotion that Dick was all too familiar with but he ignored it. He couldn't afford to let his emotions to prevent him from protecting the people he loved and cared deeply for. With tenuous steps, Dick gradually descended the stairs and came upon the front door that seemed to be pleading him to stay.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry," Dick whispers to the door, quietly opening it and slipping out into the chilly night.

With a sideways glance, Dick firmly etches Wayne Manor into his memory so that he would always be able to dream of it and the life he had. Biting his tongue so he wouldn't cry, Dick tore his eyes away from his old home and broke into a run. He ran and ran until he was a thick forest where he then shifted into his wolf form.

_Time to go see Charlie._

As Dick headed towards Charlie's cargo place, all he could think about was the memories he had made at Wayne Manor. All the laughs . . . All the tears . . . All the smiles . . . They were all memories now but somehow they weren't. They were too real and important to Dick to merely be memories. He just couldn't let them go like he had been forced to do with everything and everyone else in his life. Dick wanted to carry this _one happy_ feeling with him for just a little longer . . . Then maybe he would be able to let go.

. . . But Dick knew that would never happen.

**A/N- **It should be longer but I want to know what you guys want to see next. SUGGESTIONS ARE WANTED! I have Dick's POVs all planned out but not anyone else's . . . This was published on 1-24-13 with the length of 714 words.


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